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The Science Behind Indian Rituals

Traditions, rituals, and customs in most societies are now finding it difficult to keep up with the modern outlook of people. In this fast-paced world of cutthroat competitions and new technologies, most people are finding it very convenient to let go of what was a family tradition, calling it obsolete, mundane, unnecessary and unimportant.

This is especially true in the case of Indians who are blindly aping the West. What Indians do not realize is that our rich culture, that taught us to follow certain rituals, have got the scientific reasoning behind it. Its time the millennials understood this.

When the palms of both the hands are joined together, it activates the nerve endings present in the fingers which are linked to the pressure points of the eyes, ears and mind. These points are in turn, activated, to help us remember the person we met, for a long time.

One form of prayer in India is the ritual of giving ‘Aragh’ or water to the Sun after taking bath. When we do that, the spectrum of sun rays refract through the water, breaking into its seven colours and emanating energy in the process. This energy is absorbed by the body and balances any ‘Dosha’ that exists in it. So, this ritual helps gain ’water therapy from Sunrays’ and is very helpful in improving eye-sight and mind power.

Similarly, the highly popular yoga asanas of Surya Namaskar, move all the skeletal joints of the body, providing great flexibility and fitness to the body.

Other than helping a person to learn discipline himself, fasting helps in detoxifying the body and giving some respite to the overworked kidneys and liver. Studies have shown that it not only helps your brain ward off neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, but also helps to improve memory and mood.

In olden times, students and scholars would apply a tilak of sandalwood on their forehead. The science behind it is that sandalwood has a cooling effect and helps keep the mind at peace which improved concentration.

When you touch the feet of an elder person, the nerve endings from your hand connect with the nerve endings of their feet to set up a circuit such that your nerve endings become the receptor of positive thoughts and energy emanating from the elders nerve ends.

Also, when one bows, it increases blood circulation, which is good for health.

Henna has a powerful cooling effect. When applied on the nerve endings of the body ie; on the hands and feet, during weddings, it helps prevent stress and tension. The eucalyptus and clove oil along with the lemon drops that are added to give a dark colour to the henna, act as an aphrodisiac, which helps in boosting the romance after the wedding.